Crystal Receiver Club at Tate Britain Exhibition

2nd September 2011

Stairway To Heaven

John operating his set at Stimmung Performance

John, Sam and Geoff at Tate

Tate Exhibition Frame Aerial

Sam Belinfante, Curator and Artist asked me to organise a small display and working demonstration of period and modern crystal sets that I had made or owned and sets of other members of the club . This was for the 'Restless Times Exhibition being held at Tate Britain to commemorate the work of Artisans and Artists for the period between the wars 1914-1945.
The crystal sets were set up in the main gallery of the Tate and there was also a sound an visual installation including the performance of 'Stimmung' by Exaudi a male voice ensembles.

We did not have the use of a longwire or earth in the Tate Gallery so I made a frame aerial which performed very well inside the Tate considering the building was mostly solid stone and ironwork. The criteria for the sets was not to use any power source other than the ether waves themselves. The sets were miked up to a mixer and PA system for the purpose of demonstration to the public. The sets were tuned and operated by John Allen and myself and syncronised in conjunction with the sounds of the voice ensembles of Exaudi.

It was an unusual and interesting use of crystal sets and I have been asked to stage similar events by other Galleries in the near future.

This our first exhibition for the club has been a very exciting and prestigious event for the members involved we look forward to future exhibitions.